1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method for processing an image of a subject.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical coherence tomography (hereinafter referred to as OCT) utilizing multiwavelength lightwave interference can acquire a tomographic image of a sample (especially, a fundus) at a high resolution.
In recent years, ophthalmologic OCT apparatuses have acquired a polarization-sensitive OCT image by imaging a fundus tissue with use of a polarization parameter (retardation and orientation), which is one of optical characteristics of the fundus tissue, in addition to acquiring a normal OCT image by imaging a shape of the fundus tissue.
According to polarization-sensitive OCT, the polarization-sensitive OCT image is constructed using the polarization parameter, allowing discrimination and segmentation of the fundus tissue. According to polarization-sensitive OCT, light modulated into circularly-polarized light is used as measurement light for observing a sample, and interference light is divided and detected as two perpendicular linearly-polarized light beams to generate the polarization-sensitive OCT image (refer to WO2010/122118A1). However, WO2010/122118A1 discusses no method for aiding diagnosis, which is an original purpose of polarization-sensitive OCT, more specifically, a method for effectively confirming a lesion generated on a retina layer and the like.